Castle of the Swift Sword Dojo
The Castle of the Swift Sword Dojo taught the Akodo Bushi, Akodo Tactician, Akodo Forward Sentry, Way of the Samurai, p. 39 Lion Deathseeker, Matsu Duelist, Emerald Empire: Third Edition, p. 199 Akodo Elite Guard, and Akodo Scout schools. Masters of War, p. 118 Founding The dojo was located where the Kami Akodo first trained his followers to fight Fu Leng. The dojo was built for the purpose of creating a massive army to destroy his corrupted brother, but sadly the school never survived the war. Since then there were at least two attempts to rebuild the school that failed miserably. In the end it was the grandson of Akodo who managed to rebulid the dojo, moving it halfway across Lion lands to the site where Akodo first met Matsu, and it has stood there to this day. History Banishment of the Akodo When the Akodo family was disbanded the dojo remained open under the command of Akodo Kage, who trained new students. Military Headquarters In all the wars that the Lion had been involved in, Shiro sano Ken Hayai had served as the military headquarters. Troop movement, supply distribution, tracking enemy units and many other military functions had all involved the castle. After the Scorpion Coup and the disbanding of the Akodo family however the functions of the castle were transferred to Shiro Matsu, and the castle stood in a shadow of it's former glory. During the majority of the Clan War only the morose Deathseekers made it their base of operations. After the Battle of Oblivion's Gate and the reinstatement of the Akodo, the new daimyo Akodo Ginawa transferred back the ownership of the Akodo holdings from the Matsu family to the Akodo. These included among others Shiro Akodo and the school at Shiro sano Ken Hayai. This resulted in the need for expanding the school to make room for the unprecedented numbers of new trainees. Way of the Samurai, p. 40 Traditions The Lion adhered to tradtions more strongly than any other clan in Rokugan, and virtually every aspect of the training here followed a schedule laid down centuries ago. Some of the individual sensei were allowed to vary these regimes slightly, but would be looked upon with disdain if too much was changed. The strangest tradition the school was one that shows their emphasis on honing the mind as well as the body. In their final year of training the student would train under the master sensei, who would select a play from his favourite playwright and the students were made to re-enact single acts each training session. In most cases the class would finish the entire play before graduation this way, but failure to complete the play was considered a disgrace, so the students put a lot of time into memorizing the plays. Training It was rare for a student to have begun his training at the Castle of the Swift Sword, as that honor was bestowed upon the children of the prominent Lion figures and those rare individuals who showed incredible martial prowess. These few however would also have high expectations placed upon them. The training itself emphasised upon the use of the katana, as the Lion considered it the only weapon a true warrior would use. For those who wished to study other weapons however there were possibilities for that. Archery was also very important to the schools training, and training in pole arms was also popular. To the Akodo the mind was as important as the weapon, and their non-combat curriculum was one of the most intensive in Rokugan. Battle tactics were a daily part of all the students training, and every graduating student would at least have some basic knowledge in the matter. History and literature was also very important, as the Akodo had found that there are valuable lessons to learn from the past. Dojo Benefits As one of the oldest Lion dojo it had gained a reputation in the Empire of producing the finest military minds throughout history. Students of the school were distinguished by an iron tessen spread beneath the family mon upon their kimono. Way of the Samurai, p. 41 Sensei Only the finest samurai had ever been honored with the assignment as master sensei of the dojo. In addition to being exeptionally gifted soldiers the sensei must also have a wide grasp of history, literature and many of the fine arts. This resulteds in some of the finest and most educated minds coming out of the school, not just the finest warriors. Obviously the majority of students here were bushi, but there was a significant amount of shugenja that trained here also, often studying under the historians stationed here. Also the occasional Ikoma bard would find his way here for history lessons. Notable Sensei * Akodo Hirotsu * Akodo Kage Notable Students * Akodo Ijiasu * Akodo Setai * Akodo Toturi Category:Hayai province Category:Lion Clan Dojo